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PAPERS FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF MARINE BIOLOGY. 



The Albatross expedition, 1899-1900, collected 12 specimens at Papeete, Tahiti. 

 Of these specimens, two have one of the ends bifurcate. The following table gives 

 the dimensions and notes on the others which are of normal form: 



The axial furrow extends to both ends in specimens i, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6; to one 

 end but not to the other in g and 10; it reaches neither end in 7 and 8. Specimens 

 3, 5, 7, 8, and 10 have the margins of some or many septa pathologically thickened, 

 apparently the result of injury. 



This species is obviously most nearly related to H. Umax, but differs from the 

 latter by having more crowded large septa, the upper margins of which are flat, 

 not conspicuously arched, next the axial furrow; secondary calices develop nearer 

 the furrow and are more distinctly radiate. All the suite from Papeete show the 

 same relative crowding and the flat upper margins of the septa. I have not seen 

 specimens which show intergradation with //. Umax. 



Distribution. — Tahiti; also Jaluit, Marshall Islands (^/^a/rojj, 1900), I specimen. 



Herpetolitha limax (Esper). 



1909. Ilerpetolitha Umax Gardiner, Trans. Linn. Soc. London, 2d ser., Zool., vol. 12, p. 284, plate 28 

 figs. 20-23; plate 39, figs. 24, 25. 



While discussing the species of Herpetolitha, it may be said that a good speci- 

 men of H. Umax was collected by the 1908 expedition of the Albatross at South 

 Lagoon, Townindao Island, Philippines; and J. B. Steere collected a suite of 4 or 5 

 specimens at other localities in the Pliilippines. As Bedot's H. limax^ from Am- 

 boina seems to me correctly identified, Amboina may also be added to the list 

 of authentic localities for this species. I agree with Gardiner's suggestion that the 

 records for the Fiji Islands and Tahiti need verification. 



Genus POLYPHYLLIA de BlainviUe. 

 1909. Polyphyllia Gardiner, Trans. Linn. Soc. London, zd ser., Zool., vol. 12, p. 287 (with synonymy). 



Type species: Polyphyllia pelvis Quoy and Gaimard, which Gardiner considers 

 a synonym of Fungia talpina Lamarck. 



Polyphyllia talpina (Lamarck). 

 Plate 54, figure 2, specimen from Murray Island. 

 1857. Cryptabacia talpina Milne Edwards and Haime, Hist. nat. Corall., vol. 3, p. 22. 

 1907. Cryptabacia talpina Bedot, Madreporaires d'Amboine, p. 226, plate 34, figs. 174-176; plate 35, 



figs. 177-179- 

 1909. Polyphyllia talpina Gardiner, Trans. Linn. Soc. London, 2d ser., Zool., vol. 12, p. 287, plate 36, 

 fig. 13; plate 38, figs. 18, 19; plate 39, fig. 26. 



'Madreporaires d'Amboine, p. 223, plate 33, figs. 169-173, 1907. 



